# Accident 19970710019149A: Amtr RAF2000, Conroe, TX, July 10, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 10, 1997, 08:05 local time
- Place: Conroe, TX
- Airport: Montgomery  County Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 30.3197° N, 95.4691° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.3197&lon=-95.4691&mi=10
- Aircraft: N6826Z, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N6826Z-2015-05-20) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Watts Ted G RAF 2000 GYROPLANE (registry code 05624JR, https://openairdocs.org/model/watts-ted-g-raf-2000-gyroplane) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Subaru ALL MDLS A/B (registry code 59050, https://openairdocs.org/engine/subaru-all-mdls-a-b) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AMTR RAF2000
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 557 total, 17 in this make and model, 17 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW97LA278](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW97LA278) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970710019149A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

LOST CONTROL ON INITIAL CLIMBOUT. GYROPLANE ROTORS HIT GROUND. ROLLED OVER. IMPACT BENT MAST AND BOTH ROTOR BLADES. (-23) THE AIRCRAFT IS A TED G. WATTS - RAF 2000 GYROPLANE. PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HAD DEPARTED RUNWAY 01 AND LOST CONTROL AT APPROXIMATELY 10 FEET AGL. THE GYROPLANE OSCILLATED RIGHT, THEN LEFT. THE ROTOR BLADES CONTACTED THE GROUND, AND THE GYROPLANE ROLLED ONTO ITS SIDE. THE MAST OF THE GYROPLANE WAS BENT APPROXIMATELY 120 DEGREES AND BOTH ROTOR BLADES HAD INCURRED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB FTW97LA278](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW97LA278), Jul 10, 1997: Watts RAF 2000 Gyroplane (N6826Z), Conroe, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control. A factor was his premature liftoff at low airspeed.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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